The Wild Resource Conservation Fund (WRCF) in cooperation with the National Audubon Society and the Pennsylvania Game Commission have set the stage for an exciting new program to involve Pennsylvanians in educational and scientific wildlife programs.

Now, rather than just watching birds or simply enjoying nature you can get involved in a project of benefit the state's birds and mammals.

The WRCF, supported with income tax return donations, has initiated a "Volunteers For Wildlife" program to involve the millions of Pennsylvanians whose interests and recreational diversions extend into the great outdoors. Eleven projects are available for participants to take part. The projects are designed to measure long-term trends for varied species and habitats throughout the commonwealth as well as educate the public and provide and enhance scientific information about wildlife.

The projects, according to FrankFelbaum, executive director of the WRCF, require no specialized knowledge but birdwatching or nature interpretation skills will help. Devotion of as little as an hour or two a season to near- daily participation is possible and you can work alone or with others to make a particular activity as intense or simple as desired. Participation in more than one project is also feasible.

And all of the projects will have the end result of assisting the game commission in its efforts to protect and conserve some of the state's birds and mammals for which more information is needed.

Audubon chapter members and other groups and individuals whose participation was sought have already signed up for projects with the vertical nest box and, surprisingly, the bat survey being the most popular.

"More than half of the 834 people who want to get involved chose the bat survey," said Walt Pomeroy, director of the Audubon Society's Mid-Atlantic office in Camp Hill. "That was very surprising."

"It seems that most people want to get involved with the wildlife on their own properties and in activities they can do by themselves," Pomeroy said. "That's probably why the vertical nest box is so popular."

Pomeroy also stressed that participants do not have to be experienced naturalists or birdwatchers to contribute. He said that the information gathered in the projects will go to biologists and organizations that can use it.

"There will be many people involved in gathering information that's just not available any other way," Pomeroy added. "And such information from all over the state can be very significant."

A bonus is that awards and prizes will be given to promote this on-going activity composed of volunteer workers.

Following are the projects selected for the initial program:

Breeding Bird Tend Survey

Volunteers will monitor the population trends of protected birds in specific habitats in the state. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service promotes such projects nationwide through standardized information to which national trends can be compared.

While some breeding bird surveys have been carried out in the state for the past 22 years, changes in land uses may have altered the findings. To reliably establish if and to what degree a bird species may be declining volunteers skilled in bird identification through sight and song are needed.

Summer Bat Trend Survey

Here's one for the pioneering naturalist. Volunteers will help determine trends of Pennsylvania bat populations, a subject about which very little is known. Concern that bats are declining in numbers makes this project especially unique. Volunteers will count bats during the summer months and note their presence in predetermined habitats such as over farm ponds, in suburban areas, woodlot edges, and the like. Knowledge of bat identification by species is not necessary.

Creating Windows to the Outdoors for Shut-ins

Like pets, the sighting of wildlife can be therapeutic. This project focuses on people who can't get out to see animals, especially birds, by providing incentive for the birds to visit them. Bird houses, feeders or baths will be set up near viewing windows where they can be seen by people in nursing and church homes, hospitals, senior citizens meeting places and other facilities.

Volunteers can work with local businesses to supply materials and seeds and scouting groups or 4-H clubs can be asked to help maintain the houses and feeders.

Creating a Purple Martin Trail

This assignment involves the finding and monitoring of 10 or more purple martin houses to establish the trends of this beneficial backyard songbird. Some of the houses may be used while others might not entice them to set up housekeeping but all will be monitored. The survey of the martin apartments will be an annual one. While the martin has declined in numbers there have been no substantial projects in the state to establish how much the species may have diminished or whether it may have increased in some regions.